When You Say

Last updated
"When You Say"
Song by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Then Play On
Released1969
Recorded1968–1969
Genre Blues rock
Length4:22
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Danny Kirwan
Producer(s) Fleetwood Mac
"When You Say"
When You Say Christine Perfect.jpg
Single by Christine Perfect a.k.a. Christine McVie
from the album Christine Perfect
B-side "No Road Is the Right Road"
ReleasedOctober 1969
RecordedSeptember 1969
Genre Blues rock
Length3:14
Label Blue Horizon
Songwriter(s) Danny Kirwan
Producer(s) Danny Kirwan
Christine Perfect a.k.a. Christine McVie singles chronology
"When You Say"
(1969)
"I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around)"
(1970)

"When You Say" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac written by guitarist Danny Kirwan, which first appeared on their 1969 album Then Play On as the fourth track on the album. It was also recorded by Christine Perfect as her debut single, which was later included on her self-titled album in 1970.

Contents

Background

Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, originally wanted "When You Say" to be released as the first single from their 1969 album Then Play, but his song "Oh Well" was selected instead. [1] Following the commercial success of "Oh Well", "When You Say" was one of the two songs dropped from the track listing of Then Play On to make room for “Oh Well”. [2]

In September 1969, the song was recorded as the debut solo single by former Chicken Shack keyboardist/vocalist Christine Perfect, then wife of Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie. Danny Kirwan, who was the songwriter behind "When You Say", arranged for the recording session and produced Perfect's rendition. [3] The B-side of the single was "No Road Is the Right Road", written by Christine Perfect. [4] The single was announced in the 29 September 1969 edition of Melody Maker and the publication also provided an expected release date of 17 October 1969 under the Blue Horizon label. [3]

Writing for Melody Maker, Chris Welch found the string arrangement on Perfect's "When You Say" to be dated but thought that McVie sang the song "in fetching fashion". He also characterised it as a "weird ballad". [5] Derek Johnson of NME called the song a "beautiful ballad with classical leanings" but questioned whether the single would have "mass appeal". [6] The single was a commercial failure, partly due to Perfect's refusal to appear on the BBC TV music show Top of the Pops in favor of a holiday with John McVie in Greece. [4] However, McVie did record a performance of the song with the Derek Wadsworth Orchestra for a BBC Radio 1 radio programme presented by John Peel, which was broadcast on 1 November 1969. [7]

Track listing

  1. "When You Say" – 3:11
  2. "No Road is the Right Road – 2:52

Personnel

Fleetwood Mac version

Christine Perfect version

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References

  1. Logan, Nick (11 October 1969). "NME's Nick Logan Sits in on a Fleetwood Mac Rehearsal Session" (PDF). NME . p. 3. Retrieved 27 December 2024 via World Radio History.
  2. Then Play On (Liner Notes). Fleetwood Mac. United States: Warner Bros. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 "Offers Pour In For Poll Winner Christine Perfect" (PDF). Melody Maker . 27 September 1969. p. 4. Retrieved 27 December 2024 via World Radio History.
  4. 1 2 Carr, Roy; Clarke, Steve (1978). Fleetwood Mac: Rumours n' Fax . Harmony Books. pp. 46, 56–57. ISBN   0-517-53364-2.
  5. Welch, Chris (18 October 1969). "New Pop Singles" (PDF). Melody Maker . p. 22. Retrieved 27 December 2024 via World Radio History.
  6. Johnson, Derek (25 October 1969). "Top Singles" (PDF). NME . p. 8. Retrieved 27 December 2024 via World Radio History.
  7. Garner, Ken (2007). The Peel Sessions . Italy: BBC Books. p.  245, 318. ISBN   978-1-84607-326-7.